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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28563399">Heart of Torchwood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose_17/pseuds/blackrose_17'>blackrose_17</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hurt/Comfort Bingo Stories [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Torchwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M, Gwen Cooper Bashing, M/M, Retcon (Torchwood)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 03:25:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>979</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28563399</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose_17/pseuds/blackrose_17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gwen wants the world and she has earned it being the heart of Torchwood after all.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gwen Cooper/Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper/Rhys Williams, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Owen Harper/Diane Holmes, Toshiko Sato/Kathy Swanson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hurt/Comfort Bingo Stories [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950631</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Heart of Torchwood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was written for my h/c bingo card prompt Substance Addiction and took a little twist on Gwen's Retconning Rhys. I do feel bad for poor Rhys and I might do a sequel where he gets a happier ending.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gwen Cooper from the moment she met Jack Harkness she knew that her life was going to change, that she was finally going to show the world how special she truly is.</p><p>She just never expected to fall in love with more than her new job but her boss Jack. He was larger than life and he made her feel things that her dear Rhys never did.</p><p>She also never expected to have an affair with Owen but the sarcastic medic set her blood ablaze. She didn't have to lie to him about how she got injured. Gwen could be herself with him and she loved that about her affair with him. Okay, that and the thrill she felt when they snuck around, fooling around in the SUV and around in the Hub.</p><p>But then guilt started eating away at her, she had wonderful Rhys waiting at home for her every night with a loving smile on his face and a welcome home kiss that made her feel guilty. But not guilty enough to stop.</p><p>She didn't love Owen and she knew that he didn't love her like that either. What they had was fun. Now if it was Jack, who without a doubt she was certain she was falling more and more in love with each day she would have done the right thing and broke up with Rhys.</p><p>But no matter how much she longed for Jack he had some kind of honour code and wouldn't come between her and Rhys.</p><p>Besides Gwen had seen Jack and Ianto stealing kisses and it filled her with rage. Jack could have her but instead, he chose the tea-boy.</p><p>Gwen couldn't understand how or why Jack allowed Ianto to return to Torchwood after he brought that <em>thing </em>into the Hub or when it nearly killed her. She was certain that she meant more to Jack than his current shag.</p><p>Still, she had Owen and yes part of her felt bad that she rubbed it in Tosh's face that she had the man her teammate had been crushing on for who knows how long but Tosh had all that time it wasn't her fault that Owen skipped right over her and instead chose to sleep with her.</p><p>Or at least she did until Diane showed up.</p><p>Owen dropped her like a hot coal and he didn't look back as he went after his new love interest with tenderness and passion that he never showed towards her. Owen was a completely different man with Diane.</p><p>Gwen wasn't jealous, she wasn't.</p><p>Then Tosh fell in love with Kathy Swanson of all people and suddenly she was no longer the contact with the local police and it stung.</p><p>What was worse was Ianto and Jack were becoming serious, Gwen had overheard Jack talking with Tosh about how he wanted to prove to Ianto that he wanted more than a fling with the younger man. Gwen had to cover her mouth to hide her sobs as she quietly moved away from the duo.</p><p>But the final blow came from Rhys.</p><p>"Rhys?" Gwen was confused at the sight of Rhys sitting on the couch with a serious look on his face.</p><p>"How long were you planning on stringing me along?" Rhys asked.</p><p>"I have no clue what you are talking about." Gwen could feel her heart pounding in her chest.</p><p>Rhys' dark eyes bore into hers and she could see the pain and hurt in them. "I know that you have been having an affair with someone that you are working with."</p><p>Gwen couldn't lose Rhys not when she no longer had Jack or Owen. She had to keep him until she could lure either Owen or Jack to her bed. "I don't know what you are talking about Rhys but how about I make us something to drink and we can talk about this calmly?" Gwen suggested.</p><p>She knew that Rhys loves her and would be willing to give her the chance to prove herself.</p><p>"Alright."</p><p>Moving to the kitchen Gwen opened her purse and pulled out the bottle of Retcon she had taken from the Hub, she had been planning on confession to Rhys about what she had been doing but she had planned on Retconning Rhys first she wouldn't be able to handle it if Rhys had walked out on her leaving her alone, she couldn't be alone she was supposed to be the heart of Torchwood and show them what it was like to be human and a big part of that was her relationship with Rhys.</p><p>Recalling what she learned about Retcon she hoped she placed the right amount in Rhys' beer. Taking a few calming breaths she lifted the bottle and her glass of wine and headed back out into the living room where Rhys was waiting.</p><p>Watching Rhys take a few swallows of his beer Gwen decided to be honest.</p><p>"I have been cheating on you Rhys. It was a mistake one that will never happen again. I need you to believe me Rhys and I need to know that you forgive me." Gwen pleaded.</p><p>Rhys had grown more heartbroken after every word that fell from her mouth. "I can't forgive you, Gwen. You broke my trust, I love you. I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you but I doubt that will happen because I can't trust you."</p><p>Gwen knew that she had done the right thing Retconning Rhys she couldn't lose him.</p><p>Owen showed her that she wasn't ready to commit to one person and soon she began finding herself in affair after affair and if Rhys found out she just Retcon him after all having someone to look after her made her life all that easier and she still kept her facade of being the heart of Torchwood. </p>
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